(BPT) - When Martha Saly, director of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR), learned she had hepatitis C, a virus that attacks the liver, she was in disbelief. Saly never suspected she might be infected with the hepatitis C virus, and unfortunately, cases like Saly’s are not uncommon.

In fact, 3.2 million Americans are living with hepatitis C, and most do not know they are infected. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released hepatitis C screening recommendations calling for all adults born from 1945 through 1965, also known as baby boomers, to get tested for hepatitis C.

“This test can mean the difference between life and death - it did for me,” says Saly. “You can live with hepatitis C for decades without feeling sick, but liver damage can occur silently during this time, which can lead to more serious problems such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.”